Star WarsTransformers: Force and Might
by BlackGatchaman
Summary: On a mission to help the Autobots return to Cybertron, Sam, Mikaela, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee crash into the middle of the Clone Wars. Now they must save a galaxy far, far away from the Decepticons before Earth falls to the power of the Dark Side!


STAR WARS/ TRANSFORMERS: 10/14/2007

FORCE AND MIGHT

A fan-fiction by William Victor Speer III

I.

Sam Witwicky had been called many things in his life. As his heart pounded he realized "astronaut" was not a title he ever expected. Of course as the soft beautiful hand of Mikaela Banes his girlfriend of nearly a year now, squeezed his own sweaty palm, he remembered "boyfriend of the hottest chick ever" was not an expected title either.

"I'm cool…" he lied, "I'm cool – look at me! I'm so cool that I'm cold sweating. It's a mark of coolness and – "

Her beautiful lips pressed into his cheek, stopping his macho rant. "You can stop now, Witwicky."

Sam laughed nervously, "Stop what?"

"I'm not scared." Mikaela nodded in the direction of the ultra-high-tech cockpits computers. "You're not driving."

Sam's jaw dropped, "How come hot people are so evil?"

Mikaela only laughed, "You ready to make history, Bumblebee?"

The unearthly computer screens across the cockpit flashed as a metallic, yet soft and decidedly British voice replied, "All systems are go, Mikaela." Seat belt strapped themselves across Sam and Mikaela. "Launch in T-Minus: one minute."

The light speed transmitter radio crackled and a familiar, deep resonating voice came through. "Samuel. Mikaela. I personally want to let you know that the Autobots will be forever indebted to you both for this magnificent service you've done for Cybertron. If this transformation works we will be able to once again reach our homeland – and search for a way to rebuild it."

"You're kidding me, right, Optimus?" Sam beamed. "I'm going to space! Space dude! Not pretend space. SPACE!"

Another more sullen voice chimed in over the radio, "Just remember this mission is still a mission, Witwicky – Not a toy." It was General Munroe. The leader of the project that built the design Bumblebee and Optimus Prime adapted into. Bumblebee would only ride with Sam. Earth was the only source of energon left in the known Universe, and the world's respective governments held the only top-secret rights to that energon. The space plane would not work without Transformer technology fueling it. The general did not approve.

"The only reason you two delinquents are on this mission, is that these… Autobots wouldn't fly with anyone else," Munroe sneered on the view-screen above Sam and Mikaela.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sam waved flippantly. "How did you finally get my parents to go along with this?"

"We didn't." Optimus replied flatly. He transformed and took a spot on the launcher next to Bumblebee. His hind wheels were replaced by light-speed engines.

"WHAT!?" Sam and Mikaela both shouted, Bumblebee's fusion engines beginning to drown them out.

"They think you're helping us repair Jazz in the hangar." Optimus paused. "You _are_ helping Jazz… indirectly."

"T-Minus: Nine, eight, seven, six…"

"Oh my God…"

"They are gonna kill you…"

"Unlikely," Bumblebee sounded in cheerfully, "In three seconds, you will be approximately 8,652 light years away from California – due west."

Before either one of the human teenagers could take another breath Bumblebee's new space plane form flashed around them and they were in deep space amidst unfamiliar stars.

Those stars flew past them in shimmering star lines as Bumblebee's energon-fueled jets took them well beyond the speed of light, sound, or time. Sam and Mikaela only gawked at the beauty of space without time. They felt almost no motion and yet they had already left the galaxy of Earth.

"My God…" Sam breathed, touching the glass of Bumblebee's ultra-high density windshields.

"I never imagined it would be this beautiful, Sam," Mikaela declared. She blinked for a few seconds before coming back to herself. "Bumblebee, where are we?"

"We are approximately 60,000,000 light years from the Los Angeles Hyper Launch Hangar."

"You're kidding," Sam said in wonder, shock, and disbelief, "How long have we been flying?"

"One minute, twelve seconds."

Mikaela laughed and took Sam's hand again, "We did it!"

Sam paused and then smiled, "We … we did, didn't we?"

"We can go anywhere in the galaxy, Sam… just you and me."

Sam put an arm around her. "It's all yours, Baby. The whole big, black, light speed flying Universe is all – "

Bumblebee suddenly filled with blaring red lights. "Alert! Alert! Collision Warning! Collision – "

Suddenly, the space around Bumblee's body filled with sparks and stray electrical streaks of power. Sam and Mikaela held each other and screamed. When they stopped screaming and opened their eyes they found themselves in a building of some kind, much like the hangar they had just left. There was clearly wreckage and fire around Bumblebee.

Looking around, it was clear to see that they had crashed into something – a spaceship of immense proportions. Worse, all around them there seemed to be some kind of war going on. White-armored soldiers fought against endless phalanxes of brown and grey androids, armed to the teeth with energy rifles.

"Bumblebee!" Sam screamed, "Say something!"

"All systems intact. Human life forms, Mikaela Banes, Samuel Witwicky: intact. Position and coordinates… oh, dear…"

"Oh crap!" Sam shouted, "Bumblebee – Move!!! "

In seconds, the hind part of the yellow space plane, jammed through the hull of the space cruiser twisted into wheels and skid free, driving wildly along the ship's walls. Bumblebee sped out of the way just in time for a flaming starfighter to spin into the hull and explode in that very same spot. Sam looked back at the flaming gash in the ship's wall, gasping in disbelief.

"Oh my God!" Mikalea exclaimed. "Bumblebee, what is this place?"

"I haven't the slightest. This is a different galaxy, Mikaela. We could be anywhere!"

At that precise moment, Optimus Prime's raspy voice came in over Bumblebee's radio. "Bumblebee, status report; Are Mikaela and Sam alright?"

"Not exactly, Optimus," Sam replied, shouting over the explosions around them. "We've crashed into a war!" Sam grunted and lurched as Bumblebee skid onto the floor of the alien hangar bay with a loud spark. "The robots and humans are at war here. We've got to get back to Earth!"

Abruptly a half a dozen small insect-like droids leapt onto Bumblebee's hood. They made strange buzz-like chattering noises as they sprouted all manner of maintenance tools, trying to drill and saw their way into the living Camaro. The inner windshield began to fog. Bumblebee tried to shake the monstrous droids off with his windshield wipers.

"What are those things?" Sam exclaimed.

Bumblebee's synthesized voice grunted and struggled. "They're… hacking… my systems…!"

Sam and Mikaela were tossed about inside the living car as Bumblebee transformed into his battle mode to shake off the droids. Swatting them to the floor, he blasted the pile of them to smithereens with his plasma cannon.

After that blast, all was quiet in this section of the ship. The remains of humanoid troopers and exploded droids filled the open space of the alien hangar. The starfighters were all in ruin.

"Hold on Bumblebee," Optimus Prime said suddenly, "I'm caught in a firefight outside the ship you're on. We'll be inside soon."

"Fire fight!? Optimus, wait!" Sam said grabbing hold of the transceiver, "Talk to me. What's going on? Who are we at war with!?"

The reply was muffled by laser gunfire and the hum and whirring of lightsabers. "A robot must never harm a living being, Sam. These droids are breaking that law on a grand scale, and without remorse." Optimus paused and several more energy blasts, screams, and explosions rang out.

"But, Optimus," Mikaela said, "This isn't our fight. We don't even know who the good guys are!"

"I know who the bad guy is. I heard them calling for him in our fight. They call him General Grievous. We witnessed him slaughter unarmed living beings just as you three crashed. The laws of the Universe are absolute! We must stop this robot army and – No wait!"

Optimus Prime was cut off by another laser blast. Bumblebee ran over to a large force field window on the ship. Outside he could see Optimus Prime. He was across from them on another spaceship. This one was a long triangular wedge with a large tower that had to be its command center. Its gigantic laser cannons were assaulting Optimus Prime with bright blue bolts of energy.

Bumblebee scanned the scene. He could see humanoid life forms inside the cruiser. "Oh, no," Bumblebee exclaimed, scraping his metal hands against the force field. "These alien humans think we are enemy droids!" Two compartments on Bumblebee's sides opened up. He revealed to suits from inside, holding them between his index finger and thumb. "Put these on," he said to Sam and Mikaela.

"What are these…?" Sam looked at the clothing strangely. The suits were soft like their jumpsuits, but attached to them were metallic and electronic devices.

"These are your exosuits," Bumblebee explained. "General Munroe created them for the US Government after studying my data from Sector 7's experiments."

"Oh… Cool!" Mikaela beamed as she redressed putting the suit on. "I used to read about these in _Popular Mechanics_. These things can make soldiers stronger, faster…"

"In your case they can repel bullets, toxic chemicals, acid and temperatures up to four thousand degrees -"  
"Can it stop a lightsaber?" said a voice from behind them.

Mikaela screamed as they turned to behold the oddest creature. A humanoid pre-teen girl with two white-striped tentacles for hair and bright orange skin stood face to face with her. Mikaela fell back in terror.

Mikaela looked the girl over, "You gave me a start there, Small Fry." Mikaela reached out a hand to the alien child. "What's your…" The orange girl snapped on a blade of green energy and pointed it at Mikaela. Bumblebee slammed his open palm hand down between the two girls, his hand making a large partition between them.

"Nice droid, Separatist!" the orange teen said, flipping her green blade into a reverse grip. "Too bad you'll be selling it for scrap!" The orange girl moved to attack Bumblebee's hand.

"No, no! Wait!" Sam said, leaning out of Bumblebee's side where he was half-dressed in his exosuit. "We're not Separatists! We aren't even from this galaxy. I'm Sam Witwicky. This…" he pointed to Bumblebee, "… is an Autobot; my car and my friend."

"Yeah, my name is Mikaela Banes. We come from Earth." Ashoka only glared. "We come in peace… Really, we crashed into this ship."

The orange girl relaxed. "I am Ahsoka Tanno. Jedi Padawan of the Galactic Republic." Mikaela had barely gotten to her feet before she put her green blade back up to her throat, "What proof do I have you ain't working for Count Dooku? That's a big frigging droid you got there!" She glanced over at the battle between Optimus Prime and the Republic Cruiser's gun turrets. Optimus made small cracks in the hull each time he took a lumbering jog across the ship, shooting over his shoulders, blasting apart the automated gun turrets. "Is that big red guy a friend of yours?"

As Ashoka was interrogating Mikaela, three droids rolled up behind her. To Mikaela's dismay, they unfurled into tripod robots with laser guns for hands. "Look out!!!" Mikaela shouted.

Ashoka whipped around with her green laser sword. "Droidekas!" she exclaimed. Mikaela ducked behind the young Jedi. She desperately parried the hail of red laser gunfire being poured out against them. Each shot she deflected back was absorbed by the round killer robots' deflector shields.

"They'll be killed!" Sam said, "Bumblebee! Quick!"

"Mikaela! Your suit – it has a flight feature. Hit the green button on your left shoulder!" Mikaela did so and let out a yell as the suit blasted her off into the air. The destroyer droids blasted the ceiling wildly as she clumsily looped through the air evading them. She crashed onto a balcony two stories up. Ahsoka leapt the impossible distance to join her there, her jade laser sword blazing.

The yellow Autobot morphed his hand into his trusty plasma cannon and fired one deft, orange shot into the trio of droids. With a deafening boom, only a black, charred mark and robot limbs remained of the destroyer droids.

"Good shot, Bumblebee," Mikaela smiled.

"This is bad…" Ahsoka said. She was staring at a red hologram of a round moon-like space station.

"What is that?" Mikaela asked.

"I don't know…but it's a great disturbance in the Force."

"The Force?"

Ahsoka sighed, "It's… a long story, and I have to get this back to Master Sky –"

A large red laser blast struck the hinges of the balcony, and it tore itself apart from the wall. Across the hangar large mosquito like droids with laser cannon noses were smashing their way in. From another corner of the hangar, tank-wheeled Hailfire Droids assaulted Sam and Bumblebee. Beneath the balcony was a horde of MagnaGuards wielding electro-staffs and gun-toting battle droids.

Ahsoka dangled precariously above them. Mikaela held onto Ahsoka's wrist. The battle droids shot several blasts over Mikaela's head. The sparks blinded her and she lost her grip on Ahsoka.

"NO! Ahsoka!" The orange-skinned, Togruta alien fell into the crowd of MagnaGuards.

She snapped out her lightsaber and began a desperate duel with three droids at once. She reached to her belt and grabbed a gray disk. As she was distracted, a MagnaGuard struck her back with his electro-staff. Her legs went numb as she fell forward dropping the holo-disk. A B1 battle droid went to grab the disk. Ahsoka motioned to it with the Force.

To Mikaela's amazement the disk floated up to her. She took hold of the disk. She felt powerless as the MagnaGuards pummeled Ahsoka with their staffs "Get that… Aaaah! ... to… Obi-Wan Kenobi… Help me, Mikaela… you're my only… hope…" Ahsoka began to lose consciousness and the MagnaGuards began to drag her away.

Mikaela turned to Sam and Bumblebee. They were locked in mortal combat with Hailfire droids, which had scarred Bumblebee's yellow body with pot shots from their missiles. The alien girl had no one – except her. She grabbed up one of the destroyed droideka's arms and took aim. "C'mon shoot!" She smacked it with her hand to no avail. "Damn you! Shoot!!" She hit the gun-arm against the wall and all at once it began to rapidly fire laser blasts out of control.

Mikaela forced the gun-arm to aim in the droid horde's direction. With brutal savagery, the blaster cannon tore apart all of the battle droids and several of the MagnaGuards. The three holding Ahsoka, however deflected the blasts with their electro-staffs as they boarded a ship. "No!! Bring her back!" She chased the flying ship to the edge of the balcony, trying to shoot the starship down with the gun-arm even as it sparked and shorted out.

Suddenly, the droids assaulting Sam and Bumblebee were blasted all at once by a hail of shoulder-fired rockets and blue laser fire. The droids that had surrounded them were soon replaced by white-clad troopers armed with heavy blaster rifles. Bumblebee transformed his plasma cannon back into his right hand, and sat down with his legs crossed.

A man in a cloak strode confidently in holding a blue lightsaber. The stormtroopers addressed him with the utmost respect.

"Commander Skywalker," a caped, red striped trooper began. "The ship is ours, but the Nemoidians escaped along with several MagnaGuards."

"Where is my padawan?" Skywalker said. "Ahsoka had a very important mission… I sense she's in greater danger than usual." He glared menacingly at Sam. "Do _they_ know anything?"

"We were just about to arrest them when you arrived, Sir."

Sam ran up to the cloaked saber-wielder, "You've gotta listen, there has been a huge mistake we –"

"No," Skywalker said, grabbing Sam's throat with the Force, "_You_ have to listen. I am Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic. I want to know where my padawan is. I want to know what you're doing here and I want to know where these big droids are manufactured."

Sam coughed as Anakin released his Force choke. "Please… We are from another galaxy. We crashed into this! We saw them killing humans and we decided to help… that's the truth!"

"Please! You have to believe us…" Mikaela ran towards Skywalker only to have several blaster rifles pointed at her face. "The droids took Ahsoka!"

"What!?" Anakin's eyes widened. He retracted his lightsaber and began to pace.

"I tried to stop them, but there were too many," Mikaela panted, dropping the destroyer droid's arm. She held out the holo-disk. "She wanted someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi to have this."

The Jedi sighed, "I don't sense deceit in you, or the Dark Side…" He looked Bumblebee up and down, "But these droids… only the IG Banking Clan could fund something like this. Cody, blast it!"

"NO!!!" Sam ran out in front of the phalanx of guns and rocket launchers that were trained on Bumblebee, his arms outstretched in front of the clones.

Anakin was taken aback. "No one _ever_ jumps in front of a battle droid…" After a few tense moments Anakin gestured with his hand. "Stand down troopers…"

"Please, listen, Ani… can I call you Ani?" Sam began to negotiate frantically as only he could. "Ani, listen; we are from Earth. We are trying to help these robotic aliens defeat the Decepticons, find their home planet and…"

"And so they attacked my flagship?" A decorate military official marched in the room.

"Admiral Yularen," Anakin bowed, "I see you managed to stop the mystery droid attacking the _Vengeance II_." Yularen marched in to the salutes of the troopers in the room.

He motioned to the window, "We could say he's all tied up at the moment."

"Oh my God!" Mikaela cried out, "Optimus!"

The Autobot leader floated in space. He was tightly wrapped from shoulder to ankle by the tow cables of four ARC-170 starfighters, the X- like ships that had assaulted him earlier.

"No, no, no! Please! We aren't attacking you… we –"

"Prove it," Anakin said bluntly, "Where's my padawan?"

"What?"

"Tell me where she is!" Anakin demanded.

"We told you!" Mikaela lamented, "The droids took her."

"Then we'll keep your droid," he motioned to Optimus. "Even trade."

"Look," Sam said, "We'd love to help you, but we're aliens here. We don't even know where we are!"

"In big trouble!" Anakin held up the holo-disk with the Force, "This disk is encrypted, but I'll bet this thing is wherever they are taking Ahsoka."

"Sir," Bumblebee spoke up for the first time in the whole ordeal. "Might I borrow that device?" Anakin cocked an eyebrow then floated the disk up to Bumblebee's fingertip. A few lights flashed within Bumblebee's frame. "This is located seventeen par-secs away from the Alderaan system. Techno-Union construction sight; IG Mutual Fund Insurance; filename… Death Star…"

"Death Star… It must some kind of code of Count Dooku's," Anakin seethed.

"Extraordinary!" Admiral Yularen said, "You've hacked the highest encryption in the galaxy, my overgrown, metal friend."

"Very good, Autobot," Anakin said, "You seem to be what you say, but one thing remains. You three will accompany my troopers and I to –"

A loud boom floored them all. "Sir, enemy ships in sector seven!" Commander Cody said.

"Commander Skywalker – Aaargh!!" A desperate clone soldier's voice came in over his com-link. "They're re-taking the cruiser! Too many… destroyer droids… Aaaaagh!!" The clone was drowned out by laser blasts.

"Grievous is onto us! All crews to fighters and shuttles; I'll meet you airborne!" Anakin produced a small flashing device then chucked it into Bumblebee's left leg with the Force. The device imbedded itself into Bumblebee's metallic skin with a spark. The Autobot let out a synthesized yelp of pain. "_That_ is a tracking node. Try to remove it and it, and it blows up. Try to hack it, and it blows up. Activate it when you find Ashoka!"

"But, wait! Where are you going?" Sam asked.

"To take this war to the monster keeping it going!"

Bumblebee transformed and Mikaela and Sam climbed into to the yellow space car. "Okay, now we need to call, Earth! We have to let the others know what's going on."

II.

NASA's newest program had always been too noisy for General Munroe. Now it was far too quiet for Maggie Madsen, the senior engineer for the energon engine. Her donut-munching co-designer Glen Whitmann was a nervous wreck – and now the poster-boy for Dunkin' Donuts customers. Secretary of State John Keller was away at the White House. "I'll always be one speed dial away," he had promised. "Getting the Autobots home is of utmost security to the United States – and the World."

That was a year and a half ago. When this all started, the digital shriek of the Transformers' signal was a noise of terror and danger. Now the beautiful Aussie computer geek would give anything to hear it again. Ron and Judy Witwicky would kill them both if they got even a breath of an idea of what had transpired at the Los Angeles launch base. She was sure launching people under the age of eighteen into another galaxy without parental permission was against the law somehow. General Munroe's reassurance that they had "full jurisdiction and discretion" made it sound even more wrong.

On top of all this, Glen and former Sector Seven Agent Reggie Simmons were there to voice all of her concerns with full dramatic flare for her.

"Eaten by space aliens," Simmons said shaking his head. "I know it! They've been eaten and are digesting as we speak."

Glen's brown, chubby face contorted in confused disgust, "Something is wrong with your head!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Something is wrong with you."

"It's a perfectly logical explanation!"

"Uh-uh … It's asteroids," Glen said biting yet another donut.

"Bumblebee can handle asteroids."

"How do _you_ know?"

"Cause _I've_ been held hostage by an Autobot before. I know their capabilities first hand, Bro. I'm telling you – eaten: Only possible explanation."

There was a long pause between them. "Eaten?"

"Eaten."

"Damn…" Glen grimaced, "Eaten!"

Maggie sighed, "That's it," she declared, "I'm calling Secretary Keller."

"Nah, nah, nah!" Glen said gently pushing the cell phone down from her ear. "Don't trip. It's cool."

"How is it cool? We haven't heard from Sam, Mikaela, or Bumblebee in two hours."

"One hour and forty-seven minutes," Simmons corrected.

"Whatever, Reggie! Crikey! You were the ones going on and on about them getting _eaten_!"

"Yeah," Glen defended. "They can handle that." Maggie only stared blankly. "They've just gotta like, fight of all the space monster's anti-bodies and stuff."

"Anti-bodies?"

"He's right, Mags," Agent Simmons said.

"How… can he be right… about this?"

"Seen it on TV!"

"Oh spare me! I'm calling –"

Suddenly, the light-speed transmitter began to chime. Hurriedly, Maggie fumbled the large black earphones and mouthpiece onto her head, "NASA Sector Seven here,"

"Maggie!" Sam yelled through a thin veil of static.

"Sam?" Maggie could hear explosions and screaming and ruckus in the background noise. "What's happened?"

"The technology we scanned wasn't Cybertron!"

"What!? Where are you?"

"What's happening?" Simmons asked, only to be shushed by Maggie, who was sweating now.

"It's a war! An alien war!"

"War!" Glen said only to be shushed as well. "Did he say war!?" he half-whispered.

"They're humans and organic robots… telekinetic powers … Jedi…" Static was taking over the message.

"Jedi? What's Jedi?" Maggie said struggling to understand Sam through the interference.

"Bumblebee … is beaming the coordinates."

"Sam!"

"We're … losing … transmitter … Entering … atmosphere… some planet called…" The transmission went totally to static.

"Glen…" Maggie said, frozen in terror, "Call Secretary Keller."

He held the phone to his ear, "Yeah… I'm on it."

Simmons glanced over at Jazz's body, and then looked up at the sky. "How many years do you think you get for starting an intergalactic showdown?"

Count Dooku and Darth Sidious had been watching the entire battle between the Autobots and their Separatist droids. They reviewed the security holograms over and over for details. All about them droids cleaned and repaired the ship that had been taken, ever so briefly, by the Fighting 501st.

While Dooku stood puzzled, his master, the supreme Sith Lord smiled greedily at the mess created. Particularly, at the chunks of the living machines that had so presumptuously challenged their droid armies with such small numbers on their side.

"You sense something, my lord? Those overgrown and impetuous droids will pose no threat to the Dark Side, I assure you."

"Of course not, Lord Tyranus. Instead, these droids may have given us the secret to ruling the Universe once and for all." He turned to Dooku. "Don't you remember what the Earth children called their droid friends' mortal enemies?"

"Yes, Master. It was something from their world, something that was called … a Decepticon."

"Remember the Sith ways, my old friend. Know your enemy's weakness, by knowing your enemy's fears."

"Yes, my lord."

"Scan all radioactive residue around that hull breach," Darth Sidious, known to his unsuspecting friends as Chancellor Palpatine. "Find the home planet of these Autobots. Warriors such as these always make enemies. Use the power of the Dark Side, my apprentice, and unlock the darkness that will bend all of our enemies' will to our own!"

Dooku smiled wickedly, "Yes, my master."

Optimus Prime had been worried at first, but the Jedi seemed to be a warm, caring people. The Temple was massive in size and grandeur, even to a large Autobot. Robed men and women lined each hall, each of them having lightsabers at their sides. So much power in one place – It was overwhelming to those outside the Force.

He was shocked to see that they were led to a small room with an even smaller figure. He bent down so that he was on his hands and knees speaking to a small alien through the tiny door way. His face took up the entire corridor. He sat under heavy clone trooper guard. "I don't believe it," he said, laughing, "It's a little … green … man."

"Wise you are to distrust your eyes. See with the Force you should, and be misguided you will not." The short green alien bowed. "I," the short green man with the warped cane began, "am Yoda. I sense a great change of fate has come with you."

"I don't mean to be rude Master Yoda," Optimus said politely, "But, where are Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee?" Yoda only smiled. "They're my friends – the ones who fought against Grievous' droids with me."

"Ah yes the Autobot speeder craft. Fascinating technology he is."

"No, he's not technology he's our friend!" Optimus said, a tremor of panic in his voice, remembering how Sector Seven had treated Bumblebee when they first met. Those clone soldiers around them tensed up a bit.

"Fear not, giant Earthling. He is on a mission to rescue one of ours from the dungeons of the Dark Side. Guided by the Force your friends are. Help you we will…" he paused, "… and hide you."

"Hide us?" Optimus grimaced.

Yoda sighed, "Unfortunate this is. Felt your friend's power the Dark Side has."

"You mean the people controlling those killer droids? … They must want his technology!" Optimus deduced.

Yoda nodded, "Crave it the Sith Lords do, and only for the purpose of destruction."

"Like Megatron and his Decepticons," Optimus said. Yoda suddenly stopped as though he had seen a ghost. "You… you know about Megatron?" The room lurched a bit as Optimus quickly turned his head.

"No," Yoda half-breathed, "_Feel_ him I do."

"Don't worry, Megatron is dead," Optimus said lowering his head, "I was there."  
"No," Yoda shook his head, "More powerful these Decepticons are than you know. Moving rapidly now the Dark Side is. Changed forever our fates have been."

The night on Earth was quite different from the glistening spires of Coruscant. This place was much more primitive – Much more ore susceptible to the Dark Side. Asajj Ventress felt the vibes of the air as she exited the droid transport. Her appearance was a façade to fool human eyes – an expensive fur coat, sunglasses and every form of money known to the nations of the Earth – lots of it.

Count Dooku had been quite clear. Find the Autobots' enemies, excavate their wreckage, and send them back to Skako in the Outer Rim to be rebuilt.

Her ship landed on the rocky shore near the deep cavity where Megatron was buried beneath the sea. She pressed a control on her wrist. Instantly, the dark brown ship behind him unfolded, revealing several racks of different types of Trade Federation battle droids. Several large blue droids approached the swank Sith Lord.

"Deep within these waters lies the secret to ultimate conquest of this planet, and our own Galaxy," Ventress said to the droids. "Find the Decepticons. Report to me the moment you have retrieved them."

"Yes, Commander Ventress," The blue droids said as it leapt into the murky waters. Several other droids dove in after it.

She activated a holo-com. Count Dooku's blue hologram appeared before her.

"I have good news, Master," Ventress said with an evil smile. "The Autobots have enemies just as Lord Sidious has foreseen."

"Excellent, my young apprentice," Dooku smiled mischievously putting a hand to his chin. "Your skills of deduction are to be commended. Now continue as planned."

"It was more than easy, my lord. I encountered a few _friends_ upon landing." Frenzy, a small four-foot tall Decepticon, thought dead by Sector 7 showed himself to Count Dooku. "Another of these Decepticons is waiting for his chance at revenge against these weak humans. He has been orbiting the Earth for months now, brooding in hatred. With these forces, Lord Tyranus, droids could rule this entire Planet Earth in a matter of days!"

"Patience, Ventress, patience. The time will come. We will fulfill the darkest dreams of Earth's most powerful humans – and then turn their ambitions into their worst nightmare!"

"Yes my lord," Ventress said, bowing. Dooku's image faded from the circular little device. Ventress turned to the other B1 droids standing at attention. "We have business with the humans," she said tickling the odd face of Frenzy who giggled in electronic shrieks.

"Ma'am?" a B1 droid puzzled.

"Where there is power, there is greed. Where there is greed, there is opportunity. The data given to us by this… Starscream fellow tells us that there was an agency on this Planet Earth called Sector 7." She paused to look up at an unusual streak across the sky – the wake left by Starscream's alien flight pattern. "This group wielded great power and knowledge from the shadows, while the rest of this world stumbled about in ignorance of other worlds. To keep such a secret, these humans know the ways of subterfuge, deceit, and the industries of war." Ventress smiled a shark's grin. "It is time we give them what they want."

III.

Back in space Mikaela, Sam, and Bumblebee had traced Ahsoka's holo-disk to a strange world known as Xagobah. The sun here was totally blue. The world around them was in a thick blue-tinted fog of beautiful floating plant spores. The spores were toxic to Earthling humans. Luckily, Sam and Mikalea's suits came with helmets.

Somewhere ahead of them, through the thick mists of Xagobah, Bumblebee's sensors could detect a robotic craft carrying a life form matching the signature of Ahsoka Tanno. Bumblebee's energon engines roared as they came into a clearing in the blue planet's mist. The large transport carrying Ahsoka came into view. Ahead of them was the young snippy Jedi, behind them was an arsenal of battle droids – very large battle droids.

The yellow Camaro sped through a gauntlet of red laser blasts. The laser cannon shots came from large lumbering, barrel-shaped retail droids that jogged heavily after them, guns-blazing. As Bumblebee sped forward, he drove over the sensor antennae of more and more retail droids buried under the alien city streets, until dozens were chasing them. Ahead, B1 battle droids opened fire from the aft balcony of the armored hovertrain.

The blasts intensified, sparking against Bumblebee's hood, cracking his windshield. The consoles surrounding Sam and Mikaela began to burst and short out.

"Sam, Mikaela," Bumblebee strained, "I have to transform. Go airborne! I can't take much more of this." Bumblebee's doors flew open. Sam and Mikaela unhooked themselves from their seatbelts and extended their suits wings.

"On three," Sam yelled over the gust of air blowing through the open car. Mikaela grabbed a pair of E-5 droid blaster rifles, taking one in each hand. Sam picked up the Republic DC -15 heavy blaster rifle that had been lying across his lap.

"One!" Mikaela said, closing the transparent face shield to her exosuit.

"Two!!" Sam echoed.

"Three!!!" they shouted together. They each rolled out of the car in different directions. Their exosuits' rocket packs lit up with orange plasma fire. Sam flew towards the pursuing retail droids, lighting into them with a hail of rapid blue plasma bolts. Several of them stumbled, leading to a domino effect that caused them all to crash into each other with a series of brilliant, orange explosions.

Sam laughed, and turned to give Mikaela a thumbs-up. Before they could celebrate for long, a tall, three-legged, balloon-like droid appeared in the mist, looming behind Makaela, just in the fog just beyond the hovertrain. "Look out!" Sam shouted. He opened up with his blaster rifle. Its blue bolts only sparked against the twenty-foot-tall Octuptarra Tri-droid's thick metal skin. The mechanical beast returned fire with three rotating laser cannons.

Sam clumsily dodged two of the crimson energy shots just barely. He covered his face bracing for the third. Bumblebee's metal hand caught the last red laser blast o few feet in front of Sam. With a yell, Bumblebee ran and leapt over the hovertrain's three cars, tackling the Octuptarra droid with a flaming crash. Looking up from the giant droid's smashed wreckage, Bumblebee saw seven more Tri-droids lumbering in to attack.

The hovertrain's engines billowed smoke as they skid along the ground, after clanging against the fallen Tri-droid's wreckage. The three-car hovercraft came to a screeching halt at Bumblebee's feet.

"Sam, Mikaela – Get Ahsoka!" He touched the tracking device attached to his leg sending out the signal to Anakin that they had found his padawan. He turned to the droids transforming his right hand into his trusty plasma cannon. "Leave these battle bots to me."

Mikaela dove into the battle droids on the balcony of the hovertrain, blasting them with her twin blasters. Sam followed her and blasted the door down. They were met by a shielded droideka. They took cover on either side of the door as the droideka sent a hail of laser blasts through the doorway. Sam fired a few shots over his shoulder. The droids shield absorbed them all.

"That thing has a force field!" he said, "Any ideas?"

Mikaela thought for a moment. She looked up at the brawl going on between Bumblebee and the Octuptarra droids. "Maybe one might work." She squeezed off a shot at one of the Tri-droids fighting Bumblebee, blasting out one of its camera eyes. The Tri-droids reflexes fired off three shots it her direction. "Duck!!!"

The three laser blasts struck the doorway just behind them. The destroyer droid blocking their path was disintegrated in an orange cloud. The explosion ripped the roof off of the hovertrain. They could see through to the end of the vehicle. Sitting behind a force field in the far car of the train was Ahsoka.

"I see her!" Sam exclaimed. He ran for the orange alien girl in a beeline. He got close enough to see Ahsoka's face in an expression of horror. Her muffled voice was trying to warn him of something.

From behind him, he heard Mikaela scream, "Sam!! Look out!!!" Instinctively, he rolled forward, narrowly ducking a pair of lightsabers that crossed each other in mid-air.

Behind him was a four-armed droid with a lightsaber in each of his hands. Mikaela opened fire on the monstrous droid, who only laughed as he knocked aside each of her blasts with his laser swords.

"Fool!" the droid exclaimed with a deep, wheezing voice. "No mere human can withstand the might of General Grievous!" With a sudden strike, Grievous halved both of her guns at once. She threw the ruined guns at Grievous and took off with her rocket pack.

To her dismay, Grievous leapt up after her and sliced off one of her exosuit's wings. She spun out of control, falling towards Sam. She knocked Sam down as he caught her mid-crash. She stood up to come face-to-face with Ahsoka, who was trapped behind a hazy force field. Behind them General Grievous was charging.

Sam opened up with his rapid-fire blaster rifle. Grievous twirled his blue and green lightsabers deflecting the blue energy bolts. One ricochet hit Sam's left wrist. He screamed in pain, dropping the gun. General Grievous was upon them.

"Say goodbye, troublemakers!"

Suddenly a giant yellow hand grab Grievous' waist. He dropped one of the lightsabers he was wielding because of the impact. The metal fist lifted him up to Bumblebee's scowling face. The Autobot uttered one word. "Goodbye!" With that, he hurled the four-armed swordsman into a building on the far horizon. The alien tower crumbled on top of the dismayed droid general.

Mikaela grabbed Sam's heavy blaster rifle and blasted the consoles adjacent to the energy field holding Ahsoka captive. The force field flickered and vanished. Ahsoka stepped out of the cell and picked up the lightsaber that Grievous had dropped with the Force, recognizing it as hers. "I owe you two, big time," she said smiling. She looked up at a battered Bumblebee, who stood amidst the smoking wreckage of about a dozen Tri-droids. "I owe you, too, Big Guy. Thanks a bunch."

The hum of a familiar starship sounded over. Ahsoka beamed to see Anakin Skywalker and several clone troopers in a large LAAT Gunship coming in. The ship hovered about fifteen feet above them.

"Good to see you, Sky Guy."

"Well done, Snips. The encrypted plans for that strange machine of Count Dooku's are back on Coruscant with Obi-Wan thanks to you and your new friends. Only next time, try not to get captured."

All around them droid forces were starting to regroup. Phalanxes of super battle droids formed in the mist. More Tri-droids approached. Droids riding on STAP speeders swarmed and opened fire on Bumblebee, who swatted at them, knocking a few of them out of the sky.

"C'mon!" Anakin said, "It's time to get out of here!" Ahsoka Force jumped onto the gunship. Sam and Mikaela held onto each other and launched into the open LAAT with Anakin and Ahsoka. Seeing that they were clear, Bumblebee somersaulted, transforming in mid-air, and following the Republic Gunship into space were a Republic Cruiser was waiting for them.

IV.

On Earth in a secret hangar just outside the Las Vegas city limits. General Rufus Munroe was the number one man in the United States Space Force. Unbeknownst to Glen, Maggie, and Agent Simmons he was also the main go-to-guy at Cy-Corp. Cy-Corp being the top maker of the US Navy's new line of stealth destroyers and the sole contractor of the new generation of mech-tanks. All of this was nothing when it comes to light that all of the seven chairmen of the company were former commanders of Sector 7. All of them were unprepared to abandon the Transformer technologies as a source of military weapons – and arms contractor profits.

Sector 7 was officially a top secret, civilian research program within NASA now. However, General Munroe never believed in due process. He never had time for the wheels of democracy to turn. He believed in power. In his world, might made right.

Sector 7 had secretly become an international shadow organization of high-tech arms traders. The men at the table hailed from China, Japan, Russia, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. All of their interests were the same – the capture and retro-engineering of Transformers by any means necessary – including direct violation of the President and Defense Secretary's orders. A way to achieve this goal had always eluded Sector 7.

Enter a mysterious, albino contractor going by the name of "Ventress." Her accent could not be placed and there was something very deviant about this girl. All around the room were these metal soldiers she had brought with her – robots that hung lifelessly like mannequins.

"These… gentlemen… are the future of warfare on this little planet," Ventress said motioning to the thin battle droids. "Think about it. Was your world not invaded by machines vastly superior to anything you had ever seen before? In fact, the entire course of your history is shaped by these troublesome Autobots."

"Who told you about the Autobots?" General Munroe boomed. "That information is strictly classified above top secret by -"

Ventress simply put her hand up, and chuckled. "General, please…" she laughed playfully. "A lady has her ways." She motioned to the far hangar door. The Sector 7 commanders stood to there feet and aimed their guns in alarm as Starscream lumbered into the large, battle droid-filled room.

"What the hell, is _he_ doing here?" Munroe demanded.

"Relax, gentlemen. Starscream has seen the… _narrowness_ of his former allegiance. After all, war is only good for business if you're not the one who has to fight it, right?"

"That thing has personally taken American lives on American soil!" Munroe shouted.

"And you think the Autobots are more trustworthy?"

"Optimus Prime and the Autobots have done nothing to us except-"

"Start a war with _us_ in the name of _your_ world!"

"Our world? Who are you? What are you talking about?" said one of the men at the table.

Ventress laid a holo-disk on the table and let it run. Images of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee battling with the Separatist droid army took up the entire table. The men were stunned… and intrigued. "Do we have an understanding, gentlemen? You're robot mongrels invaded our space and destroyed hundreds of our droids! All we seek to make amends is to help you to exterminate this danger from your own planet before it is too late."

"Keller was a fool to get us involved with these things and their crusade!" said one commander.

"I knew we should have dissected them all when we had the chance…" said another.

"So… you're an alien too," General Munroe said in deep thought. "All the vast technology of the stars is in _your_ hands. And all you want in return?"

"We want free trade with your world – starting with the wreckage of these meddlesome Autobots."

Munroe nodded. "We must defend America – and this planet – against all agitators of the peace." He turned in his swivel chair towards Ventress. "Our world must have military ascendancy in this Universe if our species is to survive."

"Then we have a deal, gentlemen?" Ventress said.

"We have a deal in terms of the droids. However, certain regressive, overly liberal elements in our government will not allow us to touch the Autobots on Earth."

Ventress was pleasantly surprised "There are working Autobots on this planet?"

"Yes," Munroe replied. "Like the sentimental fool he is, Defense Secretary Keller has been repairing one of the damned things in Los Angeles. Crazy old bird goes on and on about never leaving a good man down." Munroe scoffed. "Nobody ever won a war that way."

"My God!" exclaimed another of the Sector 7 commanders. "There could be hundreds of All Spark spawns running around by now. All kinds of Autobots – robots in disguise. They could be TVs, phones, PCs, printers…"

Ventress gave him a wicked smile. "So theoretically, in the interest of intergalactic peace, we could simply… _take_ the Autobots."

"Don't even think about it. We don't have the manpower for a global operation like this."

Ventress and Starscream looked at each other, smiling wickedly. "We have the droid power!"

"Alright, Bumblebee," Anakin said, "We've sent all of your memory data thus far in a communications package to the coordinates you gave us. If your friends can decode Galactic Basic, they should know everything we know in a matter of hours."

As he spoke to Bumblebee, Mikaela, and Sam, Admiral Yularen approached. "Commander Skywalker, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi requests for you – and the Earthlings – to return to Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" Anakin grimaced. "But we're practically a stone's throw from General Grievous. He's down there, damaged, on Xagobah!"

"He said if you had any doubts about your orders," Yularen handed him a holo-com, "that you should talk to him, personally." With that, the stiff admiral marched off.

Anakin gave an annoyed looked to Sam and Mikaela then activated the holo-com. He was surprised when Obi-Wan appeared right away. "Master, Admiral Yularen says that you requested my presence."

"Anakin I need you to personally vouch for the life of our new droid friend."

"What!" Sam exclaimed.

"What are they doing to Optimus?" Mikaela demanded.

"The Supreme Chancellor is acting very strangely. He wants emergency powers to order Optimus Prime… executed!" Anakin was nearly floored. He gave a wide-eyed look to Sam, Mikaela, and Bumblebee, then turned back to Obi-Wan's hologram.

"But… Chancellor Palpatine is such a peaceful man." Anakin puzzled. "Why would he do this?"

"He claims that clone intelligence sent him a package intercepted from Count Dooku himself. The package contained the specifications for droids remarkably similar to Optimus Prime and your new friend, Bumblebee."

"The Decepticons!" Bumblebee exclaimed. "It has to be! They must have found out about the Decepticons."

"Hmmm…" Obi-Wan smiled touching his lip. "Optimus discussed that very word with Master Yoda a few hours before the Chancellor ordered him arrested. Tell me, what are Decepticons?"

"Pure evil," Bumblebee said, "They tried to exterminate the human beings of Earth to rule their world as their own. They had already destroyed our home planet, Cybertron in their greed!"

"If these Sith Lords like killer machines…" Sam deduced, "… Oh man, they'd hit the jackpot if they ever got a hold of Megatron."

"Oh my God!" Mikaela exclaimed. "That means they will be going back to Earth!"

"But we killed Megatron, right?" Sam said hopefully.

"We're repairing Jazz and Megatron supposedly killed him."

"Hmm… you should get back to your planet and warn your people. You've more than helped us here. I promise I will do everything I can to sent back Optimus Prime to you safe and sound." Obi-Wan vanished from the holo-link.

"I'm sorry, Commander," Captain Rex said suddenly appearing out of nowhere with a platoon of clone troopers. "The orders come directly from the Supreme Chancellor. Bumblebee – and the Earthlings – are under arrest."

"Way out of line, Rex!" Anakin fumed. "I gave these people my word as a Jedi Knight!"

"Rex, don't do this!" Ahsoka pleaded running over to them. "They just saved my life!"

"I'm sorry, Sir," Rex said somberly tapping his head, "I _have_ to follow orders."

Anakin looked at the Earthlings and the Autobot, then at the floor. "A promise is a promise." Anakin stood up. "Snips, come with me."

"Where are we going?" Ahsoka said holding onto to Mikaela's hand as the clones pulled her toward the cruiser's brig.

"To get proof that the Decepticons are in league with the Sith, not the Autobots." Anakin said, resolutely.

"Proof?" Ahsoka was nearly dumbfounded, "But… from where?"

He smiled at Sam Witwicky, "Earth." He clicked on the holo-link. This time a different image appeared. "Padme…"

"Oh, Anakin… I heard about everything from Jar-Jar…" She said frantically, The Autobots… Palpatine's orders… why?"

"He thinks Optimus is a Separatist droid."

"Anakin, I've talked to Optimus Prime. He's a good person. He risked his own life to save clone soldiers. Even when they opened fire on him he wouldn't hurt them!"

"I need you to bog down the Senate in as much legal slag as possible, Padme," Anakin directed, "Don't let them kill that droid – no matter what you have to do. I sense great danger in that Autobot's death."

"Easy. But, where are _you_ going?"

"To the Autobots' planet."

"You're leaving the Galaxy!?"

"It's the only way, Padme."

"Anakin I…" She could not say it in front of so many people.

"I know." He said it for her. He winced with heartache as he switched off the holo-link. "R2, Ahsoka, prep the _Twilight_. This will be like nothing we've ever done before."

No sooner than Defense Secretary John Keller's plane been scheduled to leave Washington did the signal from Bumblebee get to the supercomputers in NASA's Sector 7 Base. With him would come Captain William Lennox and Sergeant Robert Epps, to advise on possible military situations. Maggie Madsen and Glen Whitmann began decrypting the Autobot signal right away.

"Whoa!" Agent Simmons suddenly exclaimed, "Now this… was totally unexpected." He held up his Black Berry.

"What happened, man?" Glen asked without looking away from his multi-screened computer.

"Sector 7 just sent out a tech call," Simmons informed punching away at the Black Berry's tiny keys.

"Sector 7…?" Maggie squinted, "But this _is_ Sector 7." She leaned over to look at his small screen. "Anyway, what is a tech call?"

"It's when something useful falls down from upstairs," Simmons explained. "We always try to make sure we get it first."

"You mean more alien technology is coming to Planet Earth?" Maggie asked putting a finger to her lip.

"Not coming…" Simmons stared intensely at the Black Berry's screen. "Being shipped all around the world."

"What is?"

"Let's see… Damn!" Simmons looked around, "I'm out of the loop. They changed the codes on me. I can't download the specs."

"What are y'all playing with over there?" Glen said, "Get over here, Man. Bumblebee is calling us!"

"Handle it, Glen!" Maggie said, "I have to hack Simmons' mobile device."

"What?" Glen grimaced through his glasses.

"Some rogue part of Sector 7 is doing something with alien technology and they are not sharing it with the rest of the government," she told him as she plugged the Black Berry into her laptop. "Let's see…"

"Okay!" Glen called from the other side of the room, "I got it! It's coming through!"

"Good…" Maggie said, half-listening, half-working on the mobile devices hard drive.

"I'm playing the audio…" Glen announced.

"I've got it!" Maggie beamed. "It's downloading."

As images of the blueprints for Trade Federation Battle Droids filled Maggie's laptop computer, Bumblebee's voice came in over the speakers from Glen's computer.

"If you're receiving this, Optimus and I have stumbled into a war… an alien war. There are human beings – vastly more advanced than Earth – battling against a race of killer machines. The Code must be followed. 'A robot must never harm a human being.' They have broken this law." On Glen's screens images from Bumblebee's point of view showed the Clone Wars.

"Oh my God…" Simmons said, fixed on Maggie's computer. "These robots… they're not from Cybertron at all!"

"There's thousands of them," Maggie said, holding her glasses to her eyes, inspecting the photographs and schematics, "_Millions_ of them are being shipped everywhere! Look at this. Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Hokkaido, Bahrain…"

"Oh my God…" Simmons went pale as he turned to see Glen's screens. "Maggie!"

"What?" she was still fixed on the technical readouts and shipping addresses for the droid armies.

"Maggie," Simmons called again, his glance darting back and forth between Maggie's screen and Glen's multi-screen.

"Hold on…"

"Maggie!" He finally shouted, turning her swiveling chair around.

"Oh…" She looked at the two screens, "Oh, no!"

"Oh, no, what?" Glen asked. He looked at her screen for the first time. "Oh, hell no! Does this thing say that _those_ killer robots are being shipped all over _this_ planet!"

"Yes! Look!" Maggie sat down to look up the shipping addresses for the droids. "They are going to Havana, Bogota, Nairobi, and…" Maggie froze, "Washington, D.C."

"Secretary Keller!" Glen exclaimed.

"Epps and Lennox!" Maggie added.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Guys! Check out the news!" Simmons turned up the television on the far side of the room.

"… are now getting dozens of reports of robots invading homes, destroying property and opening fire on law enforcement."

"There attacking everyone!" Maggie shrieked.

He clicked the channel. Another reporter told even more. "Now it seems the large truck robots are being besieged by at least a dozen of these smaller machines and these floating tanks…"

"That's Ratchet and Iron Hide!" Simmons cried. "They're going after the Autobots…"

A reporter stood at an airport with a Tri-droid looming in the distance shooting down military fighter jets. "This large three-legged tower, firing lasers wildly in all directions, has forced the FAA to ground all flights coming out of LaGuardia…" He clicked the television again. "The Navy says that eight of its twelve active battleships have been taken over by these droid forces. Still there is no official word from the President or the Defense Secretary…"

"It's the Big One," Simmons said.

"What big one, Simmons? What's happening?" Maggie demanded.

"Sector 7 had a plan once," he explained. "They discarded the file fifty years ago. The idea was to use alien technology to replace the entire infrastructure of the planet in one day."

"They're taking over the world." Glen said.

"And they're hunting down all the Autobots that have come to the Earth to hide!" Maggie added plaintively.

"Yeah," Simmons agreed. He cocked a shotgun. "And we've got to stop 'em. How far are Iron Hide and Ratchet?"

"They're 20 miles due south from here," Maggie said. "They're surrounded in the suburbs fighting those flying tank things."

"I'll get the car," Glen said headed for the door, "We can reach Ratchet in half and hour."

"But, wait! Those droids are armed to the teeth. We don't even know if that gun will even work against them. We could be killed!"

"Well I'm not gonna stand here and let those things tear Iron and Ratchet apart!"

"Just think, for a minute, guys," Maggie said. "These droids must have something controlling them."

"You mean a signal," Glen deduced, "Like the one the Autobots sent to us."

"Yes, but constant and more concentrated. If we can find away to hack their signal we can stop it."

Simmons when over to the window and then suddenly slammed the steel shield door closed. "Can you guys do all of the crazy sci-fi hacker stuff from here?" He asked nervously, standing against the wall with his shotgun.

"Well, yeah!" Glen replied.

"Theoretically," Maggie added.

"Then, theoretically, you two should haul ass!" A vulture droid starfighter flew overheard, roaring as it went fire its green laser cannons at an F-16 as it went. Glen and Maggie looked at Simmons. "They're here."

"They're coming for Jazz!" Glen panicked aloud.

"He's only 85 percent rebuilt," Maggie complained, "His body won't support his spark yet." An explosion rang out. Beyond the 20 inch steel double doors of the hangar they heard high pitched chatter that sent chills up their spines.

"Target is in the main hangar." One high-pitched voice said.

"Objective: search and destroy. Retrieve all wreckage."

"Roger, Roger." The droids were coming down the hall.

Simmons loaded up an M-14 Special with explosive sable rounds and hooked it onto his back, taking the shotgun into his hands. He clipped on a belt of grenades and loaded one of them into his machine gun. He strapped on a flak jacket and opened the inner door.

"Simmons!" Maggie called out.

"We need Ratchet, and Ratchet needs us." Simmons declared resolutely.

"Then I'm going with you," Glen said.

"_We're_ going," Maggie corrected.

"Maggie, what about the signal?" Simmons said wryly, "Stay here where--"

"Where it's safe?" She grabbed up an MP5 and the Black Berry. "The signal would have to cover the whole planet. I can access it by mobile. We can load Jazz onto a tractor-truck."

"You can hack an alien supercomputer with a cell phone?" Simmons said in disbelief.

Maggie nodded. "But it will only work over a given service area. I'll need to get to some kind of antenna to hack into the source."

Simmons put out his hand. "Well, like Optimus Prime always says, we keep fighting till all are one."

Glen took his hand, "Till all are one, Bro."

"Till all are one," Maggie said.

The room shuddered as a loud clank rang out against the doors. Then the clank happened again. Then another smash rang out again. With each clank, another larger dent formed in the doors, as the battle droids smashed their way in. Soon a hole formed in the door, revealing a line of super battle droids smashing their way in.

Simmons blasted a hole through the face of a super battle droid peering into the room with his shotgun. He took down two more of the husky droids at the front of their phalanx before retreating behind a steel pillar, narrowly dodging a spray of red laser blasts.

Maggie began working furiously on the laptop. She typed with one hand, the other trembled as it held the sub-machine gun on the door. Glen searched the hangar bay laboratory for a weapon. Atop a battle jeep on the far side of the room was a tripod machine gun attached to a belt and box. Glen climbed up and retrieved the large weapon.

"Oh, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Glen beamed as he sloppily placed an army helmet on his head, taking aim on the buckling outer doors "Rainbow Six: Deluxe Edition, don't fail me now!"

"Maggie," Simmons said as he shot down another big droid, "Get to hacking – and take cover. They're coming inside!" Three red laser bolts smashed through the Sector 7 gate and blasted Glen's multi-screen computer to pieces with a bright spark.

Furious, Glen loaded the gun with a loud, automatic click. "Clanking on my walls… Blowing up my stuff… Clank on this!!" Glen shouted releasing a barrage of high-heat tracers into the horde of super battle droids at the front of the mechanical phalanx. The tracer rounds mowed down the alien robots' durasteel frames with ease. The B1 battle droids behind them began to retreat in dismay.

Simmons looked at the pile of destroyed super battle droids, then at Glen. "Good shooting, man! Ooo-wee!" Simmons shouted in impressed amazement.

"I still got the high score!!" Glen beamed, his face covered in a cold sweat.

"Come on, come on!" Maggie said to her computer, looking at images from the news as she fought with the alien signal. Ratchet was damaged and the large vulture droids kept on the offensive, destroying much of Los Angeles suburbia as they battled. "Ratchet won't last much longer…"

"Ratchet?" Simmons said grabbing a B1 droid. "We ain't doing to good ourselves, Sister!" After an intense wrestling match, Simmons twisted on the droid's skinny neck, snapping off its crane-like head with a loud electronic pop. He took its blaster rifle into his free hand. "Maggie! We need that signal now!"

"Almost…!"

"Maggie…!" Glen whined, as the battle droids began to enter the room.

"A few more seconds…" Maggie said, ducking beneath the table with the Black Berry and laptop as blaster bolts began to strike the table she was working on. "The retro-virus is ready…" She stopped to stand up and open fire with her MP5. She took out three B1 droids and then dropped back down for cover.

The double doors fell down flat with a loud, metal crash, revealing a Trade Federation AAT hover-tank. It took aim on the table where the factory machines were repairing Jazz.

"NO!!!" Glen screamed shooting the hover-tank wildly, to no avail.

"Maggie, do it now! They're gonna kill Jazz!!!"

"Got it!" She squeezed the button on the mobile device. In mid motion the droids suffered a major glitch, their skeletal arms seizing up, then, just as suddenly drooping lifelessly. The AAT floating tank slammed nose-first into the floor of the hangar, snapping its laser turret in two before skidding to a flaming halt. The droid pilots rolled out of the alien vehicle, their metal bodies were lifeless except for a few electric sparks. Outside, the vulture droids that had been blasting the building nose-dived into the desert sand and exploded in orange clouds of flame.

After a few silent moments of shock, the three of them erupted into nervous laughter. "You did it, Maggie!" Simmons said. "You hacked the aliens!"

"I'm never leaving home without this laptop again!" she declared, holding the laptop close to her chest, the MP5 hanging off of her shoulder.

Suddenly, a loud metal screech filled the air. Glen, Simmons, and Maggie turned with their guns, ready for anything.

A synthesized voice moaned, "Oh… Man… What's cracking, yo?"

"Jazz!" Maggie ran across the hangar and hugged the leg of the silver Autobot.

"Dang, folk… what hap?" Jazz shook his metallic head in confusion. "Last thing I remember was fighting that Decepticon punk, Megatron."

"It's… a long story, Jazz," Maggie said wiping her eyes.

"And we don't have a lot of time," Glen said, "Iron Hide and Ratchet need help."

"You think you're up to a fight, Big Guy?" Simmons asked.

Jazz turned toward the downed AAT and morphed his wrist into a plasma blaster cannon. He blasted the hover-tank with a loud explosion. "I'm ready to roll out when you are," he said. "I just got one question," he grimaced, "Where is Optimus Prime?"

V.

Padme Amidala could not believe it had come to this. The Chancellor was so bent on destroying the Autobots that he seemed like a man possessed. She never thought she would be doing this, but here she was, picking the electronic lock to the ray shielded hangar holding Optimus Prime and Bumblebee prisoner.

"Oh, Mistress Padme, are you quite sure about all this?" C-3PO, the human-cyborg relations droid, was always the first to voice concern in any given situation. "This could be construed as treason. Oh, it bursts my circuit board to think of what would happen if…"

"Got it!" Suddenly, the shield faded away and the gigantic double doors opened revealing Optimus Prime and Bumblebee inside.

Bumblebee looked down at Padme. "Senator Amidala," he smiled, "Have you negotiated our release?"

Padme raised her long-barreled laser pistol. "I'm through negotiating."

Suddenly, the dark hallway was filled with light. The spotlight of a clone trooper AT-RT was upon them. Red alarm lights filled the building. "Freeze!" Clone troopers shouted. "Jail break! Jail break in the Senate Building!"

The AT-RT opened fire. Optimus ducked the blue blasts. "Bumblebee!" he said, "Get Padme and 3PO to Sam and Mikaela!" A plasma edged sword sprung from his right wrist. "They are being held on the top floor of this building. I'll cover you."

"Optimus!" Padme called out in alarm.

"Don't worry, Padme," Optimus smiled, "I never harm humans."

Bumblebee skidded off with C-3PO and Padme in his back seat. Optimus Prime charged the AT-RT's, deflecting their rapid blue laser blasts with his wrist-blade as he ran. Rolling forward, he sliced the legs off of both the Republic Walkers in a single, deft motion of his arm. The Walkers fell forward, smashing their twin gun turrets into the floor, leaving their clone pilots trapped harmlessly in piles of junk.

Crashing through the wall, Optimus emerged onto the Coruscant night scene with a loud crash. He lumbered gingerly and clumsily through the populated Coruscant streets, carefully stepping over frightened alien civilians as he went. The Autobot leader looked over his big, red shoulders to see three more AT-RT's in hot pursuit. Ahead of him clone troopers on speeder bikes opened fire. He ducked their red laser blasts as he ran, his large wrist-sword knocking down several of them accidentally. He made sure the troopers were only stunned from their crash-landings before he continued running.

He peered into the large Senate Building he had just escaped from. He could see the yellow Camaro speed through hallways, driving along walls, smashing expensive pottery and pictures as he went. Bumblebee spiraled up the staircases, clone troopers running after him, firing their blue laser blasts.

"Please hurry, Bumblebee," Optimus said to himself, as he punched down another AT-RT. He looked down the street to see large six-legged AT-TE Walkers approaching. "This is going to get ugly before the night is over."

Far away from the mayhem of the Coruscant street chase, Count Dooku's dark plans unfolded perfectly. He watched the chase on the Inter-Link from his domed hideout on Skako. All around him were breath-masked scientists tinkering away at repairing the damaged General Grievous.

He chuckled wickedly. "Glorious," he mused aloud. "All of Coruscant is up-in-arms over a harmless Autobot – totally oblivious." He turned around to meet a giant metallic face, scared and monstrous, and at least twelve times his own size. "Are you and your forces ready to fulfill our bargain…Overlord Megatron?"

"So long as your droids fulfill your end of the deal, Fleshling, we will not fail. The Human Race must suffer for my agony at _my_ hand – under _my_ command!"

"My best assassin is personally dealing with the only humans who have ever been able to oppose our plans. Once the Earth is under Sector 7's control, they will be disposed of. Then you may do what you will to those… pathetic, weak, greedy Earthlings." Megatron smiled with cruel satisfaction at the thought. "Coruscant will never see _you_ coming." Dooku said. "Now, destroy the Senate – starting with that fool, Padme Amidala!"

"Decepticons!" he called out, "To war!!!" Behind him, outside the oxygen dome were Devastator, Blackout, Scorponok, and Ramjet. At once Megatron transformed into a twisted alien airplane and flew out the shielded hangar. The Decepticons lumbered after there master, flowing with rocket-propelled feet or transforming into flying machines.

A walking hologram platform bearing the image of Darth Sidious approached, cackling evilly.

"Excellent work, Lord Tyranus. Without their precious Senators to guide them, the Core Worlds of the Republic systems will tear themselves apart."

"The Galactic Republic, my Master," Dooku chuckled, "Dies tonight!"

VI.

The _Twilight_ dropped out of hyperspace. Anakin, R2-D2, and Ahsoka beheld Planet Earth under siege. A Trade Federation Control Sphere hovered in orbit around the Earth. Hundreds of droid starfighters filled the stars.

"Master, look! They're taking over Mikaela's planet!"

"Yes, and I sense the Dark Side's presence as well." Anakin focused for a moment, "Ventress…" he seethed.

Alarms went off. R2 began to beep wildly.

"What is it Artoowie?" Ahsoka said, patting the astromech droid.

"They've seen us!" Anakin announced. "I'm going planet side. Artoo, stay with Ahsoka."

Artoo beeped in protest. "But, Master!" Ahsoka whined.

"I need you to keep them busy for me, Snips. Ventress is running this whole operation. She'll have the emergency shut down codes to the Control Sphere on her. If I can stop her I can stop this entire thing – and save Optimus before the clones tear him to scrap."

He climbed into his Jedi starfighter in the cargo bay. "Sky Guy," Ahsoka said. Anakin turned to her. "May the Force be with you."

Anakin smiled, "You're strong, Ahsoka. I know you'll make me proud." R2-D2 beeped. "Besides, Artoo will protect you." A laser blast rang out. The _Twilight_ rumbled.

"Go, Master!" Ahsoka said, resolutely, "We'll cover you." She closed the blast door and Anakin's starfighter launched out into space.

Ahsoka grabbed the ship's controls for dear life. Gritting her teeth, she plowed into the vulture droids with the Corellian freighter's three laser cannons, as Anakin's starfighter twirled past the droid ships.

Anakin's starfighter blazed through Earth's atmosphere in a trail of fire. "I'm through, Ashoka!" he said into his headset. "Just focus and use the Force. Keep them guessing and-"

From out of nowhere a stream of orange blasts struck Anakin's starfighter, sending it into a tailspin. Stabilizing, the ship he looked over his shoulder. A sleek F-22 was drawing a bead. "This is no droid pilot!"

Anakin dove toward the surface of the Earth hoping to strain the Earthling crafts wings. As he neared lower altitudes he witnessed the Octuptarra droid assaulting LaGuardia. "No…" Anakin said, his eyes widening at the destruction. Below the tall, ballon-like droid, he could see hundreds of people held in binders by a battalion of B1 battle droids which patrolled the frighten Earthlings mounted on STAP speeders. "Ventress… this is low even for you!" Anakin seethed.

The F-22 was gaining. Anakin looked ahead to see the Octuptarra Tri-droid fast approaching. He sped up, aiming straight for the Tri-droid, spinning the starfighter to dodge its rotating laser fire. The F-22 followed close behind him. At the last second possible, Anakin's Jedi starfighter somersaulted backward over the F-22.

"Let's see you dodge _this_!!!" Anakin shouted.

The F-22 screamed a synthesized voice as it crashed into the giant Tri-droid with a brilliant orange mushroom of smoke. The humans below cheered, even as they were bound and shackled. Their droid captors panicked into their com-links. Anakin, satisfied with his victory over the mysterious Separatist ace, turned his ship to attack the Droid Transport ships on the ground. Eight Trade Federation Dropships surrounded LaGuardia. Above was their mother ship, a huge flat, dragonfly like spacecraft.

He launched a missile salvo, which smashed into the largest ship hover over the airport the C-9979 Landing Craft. The dragonfly shaped craft vaporized in a cloud of orange, raining light metallic confetti on the humans and droids below. Anakin came around for another pass to deal with the Dropships. To his dismay, a large robot unfolded from the flaming wreckage of the giant Tri-droid.

"You insolent human maggot!" The humanoid F-22 said, in an arrogant high-pitched voice. "Fall before the might of Starscream, Ruler of Planet Earth!" He took a few shots at Anakin with his wrist-mounted laser turrets, which Anakin's skills easily dodged. Anakin shot the Decepticon several times with his starfighter's laser cannons. Starscream grunted as he stumbled back a few steps, stomping through the terminal building as he did so. "Frenzy!" Starscream said, "Dispose of this worthless human pest!"

Before Anakin could react, a compartment on Starscream's chest opened and out leapt a small, misshapen robot that landed right on the front of his starfighter. Frenzy fired several of his razor-sharp shuriken disks into the cockpit, shattering the alien glass, and barely missing Anakin's head, slicing off his headset.

The Jedi Knight ignited his blue lightsaber and jabbed at Frenzy with one hand as he put the starfighter on autopilot with the other. The evil mini-con dodged his stab attacks, performing head stands while holding onto the ship, spinning his small body at unnatural angles. As they fought, Frenzy jabbed a sharp probe into the starfighter's main console. Everything on the starfighter, including its engine shut down.

As the starfighter began to plummet, Frenzy grabbed Anakin throat with his claw. Putting his robotic face close to Anakin, Frenzy cackled, laughing at the Jedi mockingly. Anakin sneered. Flipping his sword with the Force, Anakin let his blue laser blade slice horizontally through the small Decepticon's midsection, catching the lightsaber hilt with the opposite hand.

Seeing the ground fast approaching him, Anakin searched with his eyes to see an Air Traffic Control tower behind Starscream. Using the Force, he leapt some thirty feet from the falling starfighter landing perfectly atop the control tower. He lit he blue lightsaber and held it high above his head, in a strong two-handed stance.

Starscream cackled loudly. "You really think a rodent meat bag like you can stand alone against the power of a Decepticon warrior like me?" The humans and droids below looked on, fixated on this bizarre showdown.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Force!"

"Your magic won't stop us human," Starscream taunted, "This world's leaders are already falling to the Sith Lady's powers."

"Ventress!" Anakin seethed, "Where is she?" he demanded.

Starscream laughed as his fingers formed into a large, four-meter-long double-edged sword glowing with violet plasma energy, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Anakin leapt into the air clashing his lightsaber against Starscream's sword-hand, then somersaulting back onto the tower. Their fight began to rage as Anakin leapt from tall building to tall building, slashing Starscream's metallic skin each time they passed in the air. Starscream answered with his oppressive, wrist-mounted laser turrets which painfully shoved Anakin back a full step each time he absorbed the shots with his lightsaber. Anakin made an about-face to the laser onslaught, catching the yellow plasma energy bolts at an angle on his saber, sending them back into Starscream's wrist, destroying the gun turret.

As Starscream reeled, Anakin zoomed forward along the top of a terminal building, propelling himself with Force speed. He put the full weight of his body behind a swing to Starscream's colossal calf. The Decepticon crumbled forward, now forced to fence with Anakin at close range with his sword-hand.

Anakin pressed his advantage, delivering power strike after power strike to Starscream's blade. Finally the evil Transformer lost his leverage and Anakin twirled his blade behind him, slicing through Starscream's giant wrist. With an electronic yelp, Starscream's giant sword-hand fell behind Anakin. Using the severed robot's limb as a spring board Anakin sailed through the air, somersaulting and yelling as he went, and slashed open Starscream's chest, his blue blade cutting through the Decepticon's spark.

With a death grunt, Starscream fell backwards off the ruined terminal building, landing on the droid Dropships and the mainstay of the droids occupying LaGuardia. In a wall of flame they all exploded.

Below, the crowds of Earthlings roared with cheer as the remaining droids fled in terror, piling themselves onto STAP speeders for dear life. Anakin caught two such droids trying to get a STAP started up near the wreckage of Starscream.

They saw Anakin standing over them.

"Uh-oh."

"Roger, Roger…"

With one slice of his lightsaber he beheaded the two bumbling battle bots, and mounted onto the STAP. He looked over Starscream's body and saw a small blinking green light. He pulled the device to his hand with the Force. "A Separatist locator signal…" He grimaced, "Ventress… you're next!" He turned around and flew over LaGuardia Airport in the direction of Washington D.C. He waved with his blue lightsaber to the cheering crowds of people as they freed themselves of their alien bonds.

He could feel the Dark Side's presence strongly now, as the coastal view of Earth gave way to the distant sight of Capitol Hill under siege.

Inside the Capitol Building, there was pandemonium as skinny machines of terror herded everyone onto the Senate floor. The leaders of the Free World were at a loss to describe what was happening. Little did they know that in charge of the robots was one of their own.

General Rufus Munroe had finally done it. He had brought sanity back to a world gone soft. With this newfound power, he could forge a new future were the strong were the ones to survive. He stood over a seething Defense Secretary Keller, explaining his twisted views to the man his lieutenants in Sector 7 held captive. Keller's hands were tied behind the chair.

"Don't you see, John," Munroe said, "The future is one in which the Earth is a focal point of all the technological power in the Universe."

"And you are willing to kill decent Americans, who swore to serve their country with honor and distinction, to fulfill that dream?" Keller responded, trying to ignore the cold sweat that trickled down his face each time he looked at the four super battle droids guarding him.

"Come on, John," Munroe smiled wickedly, "What's a few lives held up against all the power in the Universe?"

"Well said, General," a strangely accented woman's voice said from behind Munroe. Asajj Ventress approached in sunglasses and her fur coat. "Starscream will be here within the hour, to finish things off here."

"Starscream!?" Keller echoed in horror. "That's your newfound power, Rufus? Selling Earth out the Decepticons and their alien pets?"

"Power is where you find it, John," Munroe said, "It's the only thing that matters, in any galaxy."

"Power is indeed the nature of the Universe." She caressed his shoulder as she sauntered seductively between the black-suited Sector 7 leaders. "Unfortunately…" Suddenly she snapped on her twin, crimson lightsabers and spun around rapidly in a lightning fast attack. "… That power never did belong to you."

Each of the Sector 7 leaders fell into gruesome halves, a hot orange slice across each ones torso. Keller winced in disgust. "They had out lived their usefulness, Secretary John Keller," She put a red energy sword next to the Defense Secretary's neck, "Now so have you!"

Just as she was about to strike Keller down, a grenade round blasted the two B2 battle droids standing behind her. She was thrown across the room in a pile of droid parts and rubble. She looked up, seething mad, as Captain Lennox and Sergeant Epps burst in through the far window sporting M-14 Specials.

She tossed aside her tattered fur coat and snapped on her lightsabers. "Droids!" she roared summoning a dozen more battle droids into the room, "Get them!"

Secretary Keller rolled free of the now broken chair he had been tied to. As he stood up he grabbed up a fallen B1 battle droids laser rifle and joined Lennox and Epps, taking cover behind his thick wooden desk as they fought an intense gun battle with the super battle droids.

"I'm damn well glad to see you boys," he declared blasting down two more B1s before retaking cover. "I thought you too might have bought it when all of this mess went down."

"No, sir," Epps said blasting another super battle droid with his grenade launcher, tearing it to flaming shreds. "D.C. fell under attack just as we were about to board the plane to L.A. We got off the tarmac just before these guys took our plane apart."

Lennox loaded another grenade round into the bottom of his assault rifle. "Epps, Secretary Keller – fire in the hole!" He took aim on the top of the doorway and fired.

The blast shattered the concrete ceiling supports and the roof collapse on top of the horde of battle droids pouring into the room. All was quiet as only sparking wreckage remained of the battle droids beneath the rubble. Secretary Keller walked over to the remains of the battle droids.

"These aren't Transformers," Keller said with a confused grimace. "Just where in the hell did these things come from?"

"I don't know, Sir," Epps replied, "Maggie and Glen called us talking about some kind of war Optimus had gotten himself into with some kind of evil robots – not Decepticons – but something else."

"Yeah," Lennox added, "They were supposed to be some kind of human killers. Something about Jedi and--" Lennox suddenly choked as invisible hands began to grip his throat and lift him into the air.

"These droids are the messengers of the Dark Side's will," Ventress said emerging from beneath a fallen wooden door. "They bring word of the end of Humanity!"

Epps and Keller opened fire on Ventress with their guns. Lennox dropped to the floor, wheezing. Effortlessly, she deflected their bullets and laser blasts, sending Keller's red laser bolt back into his own gun, destroying it. Her Force powers pulled Epps' gun out of his hand where she sliced it in half in mid-air.

Her wrist locator signal beeped. "Why look, Starscream has come to finish you off himself."

"Surprise, Ventress!" Anakin shouted as the STAP he was riding crashed through the already busted window. He fired the STAP speeder's twin lasers at her as he charged Ventress head on with the droid speeder. She deflected the shots frantically, until she finally sliced through the vehicle itself with her swords.

Anakin somersaulted over her head, dodging her crimson blades. She turned to face her mortal nemesis.

"Skywalker!" she growled, "How? Starscream was supposed to finish you!"

He tossed the locator beacon at her feet. "Starscream is taking a permanent nap, Ventress." He snapped on his blue lightsaber. "Care to join him?"

Their swords clashed and became locked. "You fool! You know nothing of the true power of the Dark Side. Starscream was a mere pawn of the Dark Lord's will. Even now, Megatron is destroying your precious Senator Padme along with the rest of Coruscant City!" Anakin released an angry blast of Force, shoving Ventress across the room. She broke her fall with the Force, floating down onto Keller's desk. She cackled mockingly. "Don't worry, Skywalker. She won't die alone. Optimus Prime is being torn to shreds as well."

Lennox coughed as he tried to recover from her Force choke attack. "What… have you done… to Optimus!"

"Oh, it will not be done by me, little Earthling. His destruction will be wrought the Galactic Republic!"

VII.

Optimus Prime fought doggedly against the Clone Army's AT-TE Walkers. However, he fought far too compassionately to overcome his beguiled foes, taking extra care not to harm the clone troopers inside the massive vessels of war. The massive Autobot engaged the Walkers hand-to-hand. He ripped their main turrets off and used them to bash down the Walkers at the legs.

His wrist-sword came in handy as well. Walker after Walker found its six legs sliced clear off of the AT-TE torsos. Still, more and more came. An entire armored core's worth of AT-RT and AT-TE Walkers cornered the big red Autobot at the center of downtown Coruscant. Relentlessly they belted him with heavy blaster cannon fire. He fell to one knee still fighting to survive, but refusing to kill.

In the distance, a cruel and deceitful figure watched from his lofty tower. Chancellor Palpatine – known to the droid army as Darth Sidious – activated a holo-com in his hand as he beheld Optimus Prime being mercilessly blasted by the clones. The hologram of Megatron appeared.

"Prime is down," he said coldly. "Launch your attack – and leave no Senator alive."

At once an explosion occurred at the opposite end of the Coruscant capital from Optimus. The clones halted their attack on Optimus Prime. Optimus looked up to see the dull gray form of his deadliest adversary tearing through the alien spires of Coruscant.

"No…" Optimus said, weakly, falling forward, "Megatron…"

Captain Rex removed his helmet in guilt and dismay. "Move out!" he yelled to the troops "Take out those clankers! Make safe the city!" The other AT-RT units galloped off to fight Megatron and the Decepticons descending upon the planet. Captain Rex climbed out of his Walker and approached Optimus Prime's giant, blue face.

"Captain," Optimus Prime said, "Go… defend your home."

"I'm so sorry, Optimus," Rex said, "I've been such a damned fool. Never once did you try to do anything but protect us."

At that moment Bumblebee drove up behind Rex with Padme, Sam, Mikaela and C-3P0 as his passengers. Sam and Mikaela ran to Optimus frantically.

"Optimus!!!" Sam screamed.

"Samuel… It is good to see that you are safe…" Optimus coughed up black lubricant fluid.

"Oh my God," Mikaela turned a hateful, accusing glare to Clone Captain Rex. "What have you done!?"

"I've made a horrible mistake…" He paused for a long moment, then snatched his com-link from his belt. "Now, I have to make it right." Sam and Mikaela only looked at each other.

Suddenly from above a giant triangular, wedge shaped cruiser came in from above. "This is _Vengeance II_, Captain Rex, what's your situation?"

"I need an immediate pick up for my large friend here – and the best team of technicians you have."

"Isn't that one of the enemy, Captain?"

"That is an _order_ soldier!!" Rex roared.

"Sir… Sir, yes sir," The cruiser's operator said nervously.

"Everyone inside the droid--"

"My _name_ is Bumblebee!" The yellow Camaro corrected sharply.

"Err… right. Everybody inside, Bumblebee, then," Rex said politely as they climbed into the car. "This should be an interesting ride for you folks."

Suddenly, Optimus and the living car they were in began to float upward into the Republic Cruiser. Sam peered out of the window to see the city below becoming smaller and smaller. Mikaela looked out the other side to see Megatron, Blackout, Ramjet, and Scorponok wreaking havoc against the Republic's Walkers and starfighters.

"Oh my God! Sam, it's Megatron!" she panicked.

"Oh, shit!" Sam said, "The droids brought back Megatron!"

Rex peered over, "So that's the clanker you two were going on and on about."

The Republic Cruiser's hangar doors closed up around them and Optimus. Immediately, clones carrying all manner of welders, lubricant tanks, and hydrospanners came running up to Optimus Prime like a massive team of paramedics, each one dedicated to saving the Autobot life that they were once bent on destroying.

Admiral Yularen ran up to them. "I wish to express my deepest sorrow and regret for my previous actions toward you Earth-people. It is the desire of this Galactic Republic to first and foremost…"

"Admiral," Mikaela said, stopping his political rant, "It's okay." She turned to the clone fixing Optimus. "It will be okay, right?"

"Well," one of the techs replied, "His servo-motors are busted… his primary coolant system is cracked… I say 50/50, so long as we keep him still."

"Captain Rex," Yularen said to the clone commander, "We are preparing to engage--"

"Belay that, Admiral," said a voice from Yularen's com-link.

"Master Kenobi?" Yularen was puzzled, "The city is under attack, we must--"

"No, Admiral," Kenobi replied sternly. "Cruisers are no use against these Decepticons. Megatron alone has downed three of our ships already."

"Then what shall we do?"

"Help the Earthlings get home. We've just received word from Padawan Ahsoka. Earth has been completely occupied by the Trade Federation."

"What!?" Mikaela cried.

"Oh my …" Sam stood by Optimus Prime, holding onto to his giant thumb as clone technicians fitting a giant mask onto the Autobot leader's face.

"What is it, Sam?" Optimus asked weakly.

"Uh… nothing… just…" Sam could tell Optimus knew he was lying to keep him from being worried. He looked straight into Optimus Prime's glowing blue eyes. "The droid army has invaded Earth."

The Los Angeles downtown area was known for a lot of things; gangland violence, swank cars, and starting fashion trends. Today it was known for something entirely new – alien robot wars. As the news media understood it, a HERO unit and a jeep were actually robots in disguise, who sprang into action when an army of machines from yet another world invaded the Earth, intending to hunt down and destroy all of its disguised resident alien machines.

A silver Chrysler 300, carrying two top secret government computer scientists and a NASA Sector 7 agent sped into the mayhem guns blazing. Attacking the financial sector were about four dozen AAT units and at least two thousand B1 battle droids. They smashed windows and blew up cars at random, trying to make sure no Transformer escaped their reign of terror.

Jazz, Iron Hide, and Ratchet, however, did not plan on going quietly. They leapt into the invaders with plasma blasters, chain gun laser cannons, and high-frequency buzz saws. As viciously as they fought, even valiant 20-foot tall battle machines like them could not possibly hope to overcome such vast numbers.

The plan, however, was a daring one. While the Autobots distracted the bulk of the droid army, Maggie, Glen, and Simmons, climbed to the top of TV GP4 to use the broadcast dish to send their computer virus to the alien control ships in space. The dish was on the roof. They were in the lobby – with the droids.

"Maggie, go!" Glen shouted. "We'll cover you!" He went toe-to-toe with a destroyer droid with his machine gun. The bullet ricocheted off of the droideka's shields, destroying several other droids standing near by.

Simmons rolled a grenade underneath the droideka. "Glen! Fire in the hole!" The droid burst in a shower of metal bits. The droids turned to him, blasting at him with rapid fire laser guns. He dove behind several trees planted in the lobby, spraying the battle droids with M-14 bullets as he slid across the floor.

Maggie ran through the crossfire and leapt into a cargo elevator as it closed. She pressed the door close button as a super battle droid grabbed the doors. With a scream she let loose with her MP5, drilling the thick battle bot full of holes. She squeezed the trigger until her gun clicked empty and the droid fell back lifelessly, allowing the elevator to close and go up.

Glen dropped the heavy submachine gun as it finally ran out of ammunition. He looked down the hall. "Maggie's clear!" he called to Simmons

"Good," he replied, slightly out of breath, "Here," he handed Glen a repeating droid blaster rifle.

"Let's follow her up," Glen said, "She'll need cover. This building is crawling with these damn things!"

As they started toward the elevators, an AAT fired a laser shell into the lobby. The shot struck the three elevators and exploded, destroying them with a puff of smoke. The turret turned toward, Glen and Simmons and fired. They ducked the blast and it crashed into the front entrance of the building, destroyed their only exit in a rain of flame and rumble.

The lights shut off and the sprinklers began to rain on them as the AAT smashed its way into the building. A droid stood up out of the tank. Simmons blasted it in half. The hover-tank slid into the wall.

"Not so tough after all, eh?" Simmons chuckled. Three more AAT hovercraft approached them. He and Glen took cover behind a tall, tiled partition. "I hope Optimus Prime is doing better than we are."

The _Vengeance II_ was supposed to be in hyperspace. Admiral Yularen had been ordered to take Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots home. That was the plan – before Megatron grabbed the Cruiser out of the sky.

"Keep the Autobot steady!" shouted one the Republic clone troopers.

"Stabilize the cruiser!" commanded another clone.

Sam and Mikaela were thrown about horribly as Bumblebee fought to keep from rolling into the clones as the ship rocket back and forth.

"Hang on, Optimus!" Sam said, struggling to keep his balance.

"Sam, look!" Mikaela pointed to the force field window of the hangar bay. They could see the sadistic expression on Megatron's face as his thick gray fingers crushed their way into the ship around them.

"Aaah! Megatron!!!"

"I can smell you, boy!!!" Megatron seethed, "Now the time has come for my ultimate revenge! Your planet will serve as a warning to all who oppose me in the Milky Way Galaxy! Machines will reign supreme in the Universe!"

Megatron slammed the ship's nose first into a nearby tower. Its engines flashed out, leaving the ship a sitting duck for Megatron's wrath. The Decepticon leader twisted as he transformed into a gigantic tripod energy cannon trained upon the grounded Republic Cruiser. He charged up to fire a devastating shot.

"Hold still, Earthlings!"

Megatron fired. A gigantic sphere of fusion energy careened toward the _Vengeance II_. At the last second, a large chunk of rubble floated in the path of Megatron's deadly super-blast. The explosion blinded everyone on the cruiser. Megatron returned to his giant humanoid form, searching with his eyes to see who had disrupted his vengeful plans.

"Down here, look you," said a small voice. Master Yoda stood unassumingly in the middle of the ruined street looking up at Megatron.

"Impudence!" Megatron shouted as he fired the fusion cannon mounted to his arm directly at Master Yoda. To his utter horror, the tiny Jedi stopped his mighty purple blast of doom with a strong gesture of his hands. The little green man let his cane drop as he pushed the blast back towards Megatron with the Force.

The fusion blast struck Megatron full in the face. The 45-foot robot flew backwards, smashing into a thick rectangular building.

"A lesson you must learn, Megatron," Yoda said. He pulled his lightsaber to his hand with the Force and ignited its small green blade. "Size matters not!"

Megatron growled with anger. "Decepticons!!!" he called. Blackout, Devastator, and Ramjet came running. Scorponok was locked in combat with three AT-TE units. "Dispose of this worthless fleshling garbage!"

From a speeder whizzing by, Obi-Wan leapt through the air, and landed next to Master Yoda, lighting his blue lightsaber.

"Take these robot thugs, I shall." Yoda said, "Keep Megatron away from the Earthlings you must." Yoda shoved Blackout down the street with the Force and glided about with astonishing skill and grace, chopping large smoldering chunks off of the murderous Decepticon warriors and deflecting their blasts back into them.

"I'll deal with this mechanical upstart, Master!" Obi-Wan said confidently.

Megatron morphed his left hand into a metal flail. He took a powerful swing at the Jedi Master below. Obi-Wan twirled around the chain with his laser sword, slicing off the flail-hand. Megatron fired his cannon this time. With a wide swing Obi-Wan sent the powerful energy bolt back into his arm-bazooka. Megatron roared in outrage as his prized weapon flew off of his arm and exploded.

"Come now, Megatron," Obi-Wan teased, "Is that the best the great and powerful Decepticons have to offer?"

"You will, pay for this meat bag!!!" Megatron roared. Obi-Wan ran, using the Force to toss rubble and crashed speeders at the enraged Decepticon as he lumbered through the streets after him, carelessly pushing over the beautiful spires of Coruscant City as he went.

"That's it Megatron," he said to himself, "Follow the birdie." Obi-Wan came to a cliff marked with pictographic electricity warning signs. Megatron was gaining. He looked over the edge to see a series of power couplings, blazing with electricity, going down some 500 feet. It was the power station for the entire capital sector of Coruscant City. Megatron approached.

"Do you feel cold before your death, Jedi?" Megatron said, making a fist.

"Why, no, Megatron…" Obi-Wan said coolly. The evil robot smashed the ground where Obi-Wan stood with both fists, cracking the ground several square miles around. Obi-Wan leapt on to his wrist and then onto his shoulder with the Force. He ignited his lightsaber in Megatron's face. "…Do you?"

Spinning around, Obi-Wan made a backward stab with his lightsaber, plunging his laser sword deep into Megatron's left eye. Megatron screamed in horrible agony as Obi-Wan grabbed the hilt of the sword as he jumped from Megatron's shoulder, dragging the blade down from Megatron's eye, through his throat and chest, all the way to his waist, tearing open a flaming gash on the giant robot's body.

In agony, Megatron toppled head over heels into the long square shaft of raw electric power. Megatron screamed all the way down as billions of volts of electricity ripped through his scarred metal frame, until he fell out of sight, and earshot.

Obi-Wan shielded his eyes from the bright sparks of purple electric currents until they died down. He grabbed his com-link, "Captain Rex," he said, "Are the Earthlings clear?"

Captain Rex had Optimus Prime put on a troop carrier along with Bumblebee, Padme, Sam and Mikaela. The Autobot leader took up the length of the ship by himself. His feet nearly touched the hull and his head lie beside, Sam, Mikaela and Rex in the doorway to the trooper carrier's cockpit. "Yes, General, we left Coruscant during the fight. We've got Padme and her droid with us as well. Glad to hear you made it, Sir. Where is Master Yoda?"

The small green alien landed next to Obi-Wan. "More cowardly these Decepticons are than I presumed," Yoda said shrugging, "Lost their nerve they have and fled from a little old man." Yoda smiled mischievously.

"He's... the picture of health," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Megatron and his Decepticons won't be bothering us anytime soon. Tell me, Captain, has there been any word from Anakin?"

Anakin clearly had the advantage over Ventress in terms of swordplay. Unfortunately, the Dark Side doesn't play fair. As they dueled, she summoned droids to assault him as well.

Their fight was vicious enough. They had torn through the Capitol Building until finally their battle led outside to the lawn. Ventress fought with her saber-staff now, connecting her two lightsabers end-to-end. Anakin fended off her ferocious, gymnastic attacks between deflecting laser blasts from battle droids.

Worse yet, Ahsoka called to him on his wrist-mounted communicator.

"Master!" she was obviously desperate. "It's getting really bad up here. I don't think the Bucket of Bolts' shields will take much more. There are just too many droid starfighters!" He could hear laser blasts over taking her voice. "Oh, no! Artoowie look out…" The communicator went to static.

"Ahsoka!!" Anakin's heart was thumping. His feelings were too clouded to sense her presence.

"Poor little Jedi girl…" Ventress taunted cruelly, "And to think – she died trusting _you_ to save her!"

Anakin flew into a rage, relentlessly attacking Ventress' saber-staff. He shoved and shunted her twin swords around horribly, until finally he wrestled them from her hands all together. The twin hilts landed behind Anakin. She went to grab them with the Force, but Anakin Force-gripped her throat, instead.

"Don't even think about it!" he seethed. He tore the wrist device she had on her hand off with the Force. He sliced through it with his lightsaber. To his horror the droids kept attacking!

He dropped Ventress and defended himself against the dozens of surrounding droids that were closing in on him. "I told you, Skywalker," Ventress half-laughed, half-coughed, as she retrieved her sabers with the Force, "There is no one who can save this world now."

Maggie Madsen's elevator had stopped just two floors short of the roof, where the global communications satellite dish was waiting. She was alone now. She had no gun, and no laser blaster. It was just Maggie Madsen and her trusty laptop to save the day. She came to a door at the top of the stairs.

"It should be right through here…" she pushed the door open and screamed. A B1 battle droid met her face-to-face in a haze of sprinkler rain. She shoved the droid as hard as she could, flooring it, and ran past, clutching her laptop for dear life. The droid blasted after her with red laser bolts, as it stood up.

Maggie turned the corner. It was a dead end. She looked up and saw a hatch. She could hear the footsteps of the B1 battle droid clanking closer and closer every second. She struggled with the stiff hatch and its fold out stairs. As she took a step onto the ladder leading to the roof, a cold metal claw gripped her ankle.

"No!!!" she screamed and kicked the monstrous machine desperately as it raised its blaster to finish her. At the last second her laptop computer transformed into a small humanoid form and grabbed the battle droid's arm from behind. The droid's gun shot into the ceiling as they wrestled.

"Go!" the mini-con Autobot said in a synthesized female voice. She pulled Maggie's flash drive out of her tiny side and threw it to her. "You are our last hope! Till all are one!"

Maggie hurried up the ladder and found the satellite dish. "God, please let this work!" She jammed the flash drive into the satellite's emergency input port as though it were a knife.

Above the Earth, Ahsoka Tanno and R2-D2 struggled for survival aboard the battered and flaming Twilight. All around them were Trade Federation Tri-starfighters and vulture droids. They were surrounded and the fighters were coming in. All of their weapons were dead. Their shields were completely depleted.

"Oh, no…" Ahsoka looked at the astromech droid, "It's been a pleasure, Artoowie!" Artoo beeped in panic. She closed her eyes. Nothing happened. She opened them to find everything in space floating motionlessly. At least, everything but the Control Sphere – it was exploding.

Artoo beeped a cheer.

"The Earthlings did it! I don't believe it!" Ahsoka hugged the precious R2 unit. Artoo put a mechanical claw around the orange teenager. "I knew we'd make it, Artoo!"

In Washington D.C., Ventress only stared in horror and outrage. The droid army that she and Starscream thought would destroy the Human Race on Earth was now a lifeless heap on Capitol Hill.

"Impossible!" She shrieked, defensively holding her twin swords. "Our plans were perfect!"

"You planned for me, Ahsoka, R2 and the Grand Army of the Republic," Anakin said pushing down a deactivated droid, "You _didn't_ plan on the human spirit!" He took a fighting stance with his lightsaber. They both heard the boom of an aircraft overhead. She leapt to the top of the Capitol Building's dome. A battered, smoking F-22 flew overhead and she leapt onto it.

"_You_ didn't plan on my resilience as a Decepticon warrior!" Starscream wheezed.

"The Dark Side shall return, Skywalker," Ventress declared, climbing into Starscream's cockpit. "I will have my revenge!" With that dark promise, Starscream and Assajj Ventress bolted out of the stratosphere.

From the opposite direction in the sky, a very large rectangular Republic transport landed. Its ramp opened and Bumblebee walked out of it, with Optimus Prime leaning on his shoulder. At their feet were Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes.

At the ship's doorway were Padme Amidala and Captain Rex. Anakin walked up the ramp to Padme. He grabbed Padme, dipped her and kissed as passionately as he could. He turned to Secretary Keller, Captain Lennox, and Sergeant Epps.

"You've all done well," Anakin said.

"The Galactic Republic owes the people a great debt for what's happened to your planet," Padme said remorsefully.

"You saved our lives from that Ventress character," Keller said, "I count us about square."

"Especially since Megatron probably did a number on your crib up there," Epps added.

Anakin nodded. "You are, truly, an extraordinary world. There is more to you Earthlings than meets the eye." The Republic transport closed and took off for the stars. Bumblebee helped a heavily breathing Optimus sit down on the lawn of Capitol Hill.

A secret service agent approached Secretary Keller. "We can have a top-secret evac and media spin team here in half an hour, Sir."

"No, Johnson,"

"Sir?"

"I think the people of the world have had enough secrets. These heroes have risked their lives for our sakes all over the Universe," Keller paused to look at the sunset. "I think it's high time for a healthy dose of honesty from us cowboys." Keller walked over to sit with the damaged Optimus Prime.

"Defense Secretary Keller," Prime said. "Looks like you'll have a lot of explaining to do."

"It's about time," he said. "Secrets like this make a country weak if you keep them for too long, without any real justification." He smiled, "Speaking of secrets, you'll be glad to meet an old friend when we get you back to the L.A. hangar," he placed a mobile phone on Optimus Primes finger. On it was live news feeds featuring Jazz standing over a pile of droid wreckage.

Optimus beamed, "Jazz, old buddy! You've done a miracle… you've brought him back to life!"

In the Los Angeles TV tower Glen and Simmons met Maggie with congratulations. At her side they noticed a small 3 and a half-foot Autobot.

"Uh-oh, who is this now?" Glen beamed. "You've been holding out on us, Maggie!"

The white laptop Transformer reached up a small arm and shook Glen's hand. "I am Qwerty of Cybertron. Greetings."

Maggie beamed, "She's been watching over me all along – my own little robot in disguise."

All around the building, media teams, held back by police and clean up crews, swarmed Jazz, Ratchet, and Iron Hide.

Simmons shook his head. "Well, I guess the top-secret agent thing's shot to hell." He turned to Maggie, Glen and Qwerty. "You guys ready to be rock stars?"

Obi-Wan joined Commander Cody at the center of the clean up efforts in downtown Coruscant. He lifted a few large chunks of rubble with a Force and dropped them into a giant floating trash compactor droid. As he dusted off his hands, a clone trooper approached, saluting him urgently.

"General Kenobi," the trooper began.

"TK 425," Obi-Wan replied, "What is it?"

"Sir, the city is clear of enemies except… well…"

"Let me guess… you didn't find Megatron's remains."

"No, Sir. A lot of wreckage, and a lot of droid blood, but no body."

"You should know, Optimus," Keller said as he bit into a sandwich, "Starscream escaped. And it turns out the alien droid army managed to remove all the Decepticons from their deep sea burial. Remnants of the rogue group of Sector 7 leaders probably escaped from Asajj Ventress."

"Yes," Optimus conceded, "And so it is…"

"The battle between Good and Evil will continue to rage, TK 425. But, the Force will be with us…" Master Obi-Wan said.

Optimus Prime looked Secretary Keller in the eyes, "… Till all are one."

THE END


End file.
